A Michigan teenager pled guilty on Monday to 24 charges, including terrorism and first-degree murder, for killing four students and injuring seven others at Oxford High School last November in a shooting that drew national attention and raised questions about his parents’ alleged role.
Ethan Crumbley, 16, repeatedly said “yes” during a court appearance as Oakland County, Mich., Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marc Keast asked him if he shot and killed each victim.
“Is it true that when you exited the bathroom, you began shooting at students and staff members at Oxford High School?” Keast asked.
“Yes,” Crumbley responded.
Crumbley faces up to life in prison without parole on the charges, which include one count of terrorism causing death, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
As a teenager, the suspect is entitled to argue for a shorter term and opportunity for parole, The Associated Press noted.
Before entering his guilty plea, the teenager withdrew his intent to attempt an insanity defense. Prosecutors told the judge they had not made a plea agreement prior to Monday’s hearing.
Prosecutors and school officials have outlined an alleged timeline of events that indicates the teenager’s teachers in the days leading up to the tragedy reported concerning behavior on two occasions.
The day prior to the shooting, a teacher allegedly saw the teenager looking at photos of ammunition on his cell phone.
“Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” his mother texted the teenager following the report, according to prosecutors.
The morning of the shooting, a teacher allegedly discovered a drawing created by the suspect, who was 15 at the time, depicting a gun pointing at the words “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.”
School staff then allegedly asked the parents to take the teenager home for the day and told them they must seek counseling for him within 48 hours, or the school would contact Child Protective Services.
The parents allegedly declined. But counselors did not believe the student might harm others, so they sent him back to class, authorities said.
The teenager allegedly had a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun in his backpack and later in the school day began shooting his fellow students upon emerging from a bathroom, killing four and injuring seven others.
The suspect’s parents are separately facing involuntary manslaughter charges for allegedly making a gun accessible to their son and ignoring his need for mental health treatment.
A group of the victims’ families separately filed a civil lawsuit against the Crumbleys and school officials earlier this year.
“Ethan Crumbley’s guilty plea is one small step forward on a long path towards obtaining full justice for our clients,” Ven Johnson, an attorney for the families, said in a statement. “We will continue to fight until the truth is revealed about what went wrong leading up to this tragedy, and who, including Crumbley’s parents and multiple Oxford Community Schools employees, could have and should have prevented it.
–Updated at 10:41 a.m.